The Forsaken Hero

”Are you certain we’re not to accompany you?”

I flinched at the hurt in Luxxa’s voice, but forced myself to face the stern knight.

”I’m sorry, but I don’t have the mana to take you all with me.”

The Star Guard looked aghast, fidgeting with their gear. Even Kahlen, the blade demon, looked like he was about to protest. Behind them, Fyren glowered at the ground, opening and closing his fists in anger.

”Damned World Barrier,” he muttered.

”You already knew about that!” I complained, rubbing my horn.

”But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. If this weren’t imperative to our mission, I would never allow you to walk into danger without me,” he said.

”Or us,” Luxxa said, putting a hand on her chest. ”We swore to protect you!”

”And you will, but ensuring we have a place to return to safely.”

She froze, looking around the small courtyard outside the elves’ cathedral where we stood. ”You don’t trust them?”

I shook my head. ”They’re not our allies. Not yet, at least. And you know as well as I that there’s something strange going on in their nobility.”

”I still don’t like it,” she grumbled.

Gith took her by the arm, tugging her sleeve. ”Luxxa, there’s nothing more to say. The oracle has spoken.”

I gave the ranger a grateful look, using the space he bought to turn to Elise. She hugged me, holding me tighter than usual.

”Be safe,” she whispered, touching her cheek to mine. ”Come back quickly.”

Once my farewells were said to those being left behind, I turned to my party, my friends, who were waiting at the entrance to the cathedral. Korra and Gayron were dressed for battle. Korra in her ocean blue garb and Gayron in a set of armor. Their enchantments were weak and battered, no stronger than the fourth level, but both were practically hopping in excitement. Despite their confidence, I still made a note to ask Selena if she had anything more appropriate for their level. They likely hadn’t gotten new gear since...ever.

R’lissea gave me a comforting smile, but her hand tightly clutched he staff. Fable sat beside her, watching everything with a calm, lazy gaze. But, despite his tranquility, his soul hummed with anticipation. He was every bit as excited as Korra and Gayron.

Once we were ready, I led our group into the cathedral. It was small but beautiful, with neat rows of flowers between the tiles, and soaring windows that gave it a greenhouse feel. The rainbow motes of light spinning inside the shard were breathtaking, making the air hum with ambient mana. It drew me forward, past the suspicious eyes of the elvish guards. Stopping just before it, I reached up, laying my hand on a warm, smooth facet. Runes scrawled across the surface, spelling my status out.

Name: Xiviyah, Daughter of Fate, Forsaken Hero

Race: Demonkin

Status: Sun’s Divine Curse; Fate’s Blessing; Heir of Divinity; Primordial Mark: Fate; The Final Star;

Abilities: Affinity: Fate (9th); Adaptive Resistance (7th): Sun (8th), Curse (8th), Oracle of Eternity; Soul Casting (6th); Sun Vulnerability

”So many statuses,” Korra said, leaning over my shoulder. Her eyes narrowed with concern. ”And that Sun Vulnerability is new. New to me, at least. Is that from the Sunpurge?”

I jumped, tail going rigid. ”H-hey! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

She giggled, reaching forward and laying her hand alongside mine.

Name: Korra, Betrayer

Race: Human

Status: Fallen Hero

Abilities: Mana 8th; Affinity: Water; Combat Arts (7th); Water Mastery; Tranquil Soul, Crashing Waves;

”You got a new ability?” I asked, frowning slightly. ”Crashing Waves. What is that?”

”That’s new to me, too. But it’s not surprising. I’ve completely changed my combat form from when I was originally summoned, so it’s natural I pick up a new ability or two.”

”Any idea what it does?”

She flashed me a coy smile. ”You’ll have to wait and see.”

”Want to check, too?” I asked R’lissea.

She shrugged and joined me at the shard. ”Sure. Have you ever seen mine before?”

I shook my head. ”We’ve never crossed a shard since traveling together.”

Name: R’lissea, Life Hero

Race: Elf

Status:

Abilities: Mana 8th, Affinity: Life; Life Weaver; Soul of the Forest; Transmute Spell 6th; Soul Casting fifth;

”No status? Lucky,” Korra teased.

”I’m more interested in your combat arts,” R’lissea said. ”I didn’t think they’d be their own ability.”

She shrugged. ”From what that remnant in the arena was saying, Combat Arts are pretty complex. They’re a true opposite to spells.”

I perked up. ”Really?”

”Got your attention now, do I?” Korra grinned. ”Basically, Combat Arts draw mana through the body, not the soul. The mana still comes from the soul, so it’s a bit confusing, but it’s limited by the capacity of the physical body. They’re a step beyond Magical Techniques, which are just throwing raw mana behind. Arts let you mix in your physical strength and vitality in with it, letting you conserve mana or use them even when your pool is small or dry.”

I shivered, grateful again for my talent with magic. Just how pathetic would I have been if my abilities and skills pushed me in that direction? I’d never be able to use a combat art, battle-oriented or not. Just summoning a first-level light or something would completely drain me.

”What about your ability?” R’lissea asked.

”Tranquil soul? That one’s been around for a while. It basically protects me from any sort of debuffs. Like traps, and mud, and magical effects.”

Debuff? I tilted my head at the curious terminology.

”How about you? You’re like Xiviyuah, with two personal abilities,” Korra said.

R’lissea hesitated, giving Gayron a nervous glance. He rolled his eyes, leaning back on his heels.

”I’ve been here this long. No point holding back now,” he muttered.

R’lissea gripped her skirt, nodding. ”Alright. Life Weaver strengthens my healing magic, gives me a sense when something’s wrong with someone’s body, and allows me to sense lifeforces. Soul of the Forest is a lot more vague, and I haven’t totally figured it out. But the gist of it is that it gives me a lot more control over life elementals. It’s also how I animated the forests in the Empire, when the Risen attacked the capital.”

”Wow,” Korra clapped her hands in awe. ”I didn’t know about that. The Risen really are everywhere, aren’t they?”

A shadow crossed R’lissea’s face. ”Yeah.”

”I suppose it’s my turn,” Gayron said. ”If we’re really doing something as insane as hopping to the southern continent, you’d best understand me as well as I do you.”

Name: Gayron, Apostle of Fire

Race: Human

Status: Apostolic Mantle;

Abilities: Mana: 8th; Affinity: Fire; Infernal Wildfire; Demonic Visage; Combat Arts: 6th;

”Damn, your arts are at 6th, too? I was sure I had the lead,” Korra muttered.

Gayron folded his arms, giving her an imperious look. ”Like I’d fall behind you.”

”Infernal Wildfire. Is that what lets you create your...clones?” I asked timidly.

He turned his fiery eyes on me, pausing a moment before responding. ”Something like that, though they’re not clones. They’re me, just...extended. It’s hard to explain, but there’s no ’main’ body or anything. We share the same mana pool, though each one has its own vitality.”

I gasped softly. ”So that’s how you survived fighting Levin before. I knew he killed you.”

He nodded. ”Yeah, he killed one of my flickers. That’s why I call the clones, by the way. But as long as one survives, it becomes me. Not that it wasn’t before, it’s just–ah, to hell with it. I don’t understand it myself.”

”And Demonic Visage? Sounds...evil,” R’lissea said, shivering.

Gayron grinned. ”Exactly what it sounds like.”

”It lets him take demon form,” I offered.

R’lissea’s eyes jolted involuntarily to his horns, then to mine, before she brought them to rest on the ground at her feet. ”Why would you want to become one of...them?”

”Simple. It increases my physical strength and vitality. It was nice for prolonged battles, but after learning about Combat Arts...” Gayron raised his hand, clenching it in a fist. A few sparks danced around it, glinting off his bared teeth. ”It’s all the more powerful.”

I turned back to my own status, studying the runes. The last time I’d gotten a look had been in Brithlite, months ago. But, from the few times before that, it had seemed like my statuses and abilities had mostly stabilized. The growth of Adaptive resistance to seventh was expected, as was the jump in Sun Magic and Curse magic. Those two attributes above all had continued to hinder me, in the form of the inquisitors and the Divine Curse. What surprised me was that Fable’s soul contract and my other statuses relating to the demons were swallowed up in the Primordial Mark.

It was nice to reduce the factors I had to keep track of, but it left me feeling a little uneasy. The bond I shared with Fable was no longer unique, possessed now by every demon I’d marked. It left me feeling cold and empty inside, like something was missing.

The other three had fallen quiet and were watching me, waiting. I let out a long exhale and turned to them, the four statuses disappearing from the shard.

”Ready?” I asked.

They nodded in concert. I took another deep breath and summoned my staff. Somewhere, deep within my bond with Haven, a star stirred.

”Emlica, come to me!”